Hearts At Work: Emotional Intelligence As A Buffer Against Stress In Primary Health Care Nurses

Emotional intelligence is a critical psychological resource that enables nurses in primary health centres to manage the emotional and physical demands of their work environment effectively. This research explores the association between emotional intelligence and perceived stress levels among primary health care nurses. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational technique and a convenience sample were used to choose 201 nurses from Virudhunagar. EI and PS were measured separately using standard self-directed questionnaires called "The Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test and "The Perceived Stress Scale. The results indicated a notable negative relationship between the management of one's own emotions and PS, emphasizing the importance of self-regulation in alleviating stress. Conversely, managing others’ emotions and perception of emotions were directly related to stress, proposing that emotional sensitivity and interpersonal emotional management may contribute to higher stress levels. Utilization of emotions exhibited no notable influence These results emphasize the dual role of emotional intelligence—where intrapersonal regulation acts as a buffer, but excessive emotional attunement to others may increase vulnerability to stress. The study recommends structured EI training that strengthens self-regulation while mitigating emotional overload.